Freed from slavery in Egypt by a series of miraculous events, the Israelites still complained about the discomforts of trekking through the desert. They even went so far as to tell Moses they had been better off in Egypt! Moses found the situation discouraging and distressing—more than he could “handle.” But God didn’t scold him. God agreed Moses couldn’t handle it alone, and told him to enlist help to bear the burden.

• Review Moses’ complaint to God in verses 11-15. Note the words and phrases that indicate the Israelite complaints had pushed Moses past the point of what he could handle—that he was at the end of his rope. Can you remember situations you’ve faced in which you could identify with Moses’ feelings of being desperate and overwhelmed?
• One reason people often repeat “God won’t give you more than you can handle” is that our culture places a high premium on our ability to single-handedly “handle” any challenges life throws our way. Have you ever been embarrassed to ask for help in dealing with a situation? How does God’s guidance to Moses point to the importance of being willing to admit we can’t handle everything alone?